'Justified' Review: "Coalition"

‘Justified’ season 3 blows out its twelfth and penultimate episode of the year, as Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) continues his pursuit of Quarles (Neal McDonough), while Boyd Crowder reluctantly allies with Dickie Bennett (Jeremy Davies) to find his mother’s lost $3.2 million dollars.

Last week’s ‘Justified’ “Measures” saw Robert Quarles slowly going off the rails, as Raylan dealt with the arrival of two Detroit mafia hitmen, so what will the latest episode bring?

Read on for your in-depth recap of everything you need to know about ‘Justified’ “Coalition!”

Still chained up from last week’s ‘Measures,’ Quarles rather quickly takes advantage of his new situation to cozy up to the hookers standing guard over him, offering them some of his stash of Oxycontin. Across town, Boyd, Ava, Arlo and Johnny discuss their plans to cash in on Quarles, when Errol shows up on behalf of Dickie Bennett looking for an audience. Boyd predictably beats and chokes Dickie near to death, but relents upon Ava’s insistence to hear the proposal about Mags’ $3.2 million dollars.

Meanwhile, (former) sheriff Napier directs an inquisitive Raylan toward Quarles’ last known location, currently still chained up with his hooker friends and stringing them all out on Oxy. Despite the party (complete with shotgun bong!), Quarles quickly turns the table on the girls, and next his male guard, escaping to leave them all chained up. Raylan arrives having just missed Quarles, and wryly opting to leave the three chained as he found them. It's not like he lit anyone on fire, at least.

Errol claims that Limehouse keeps Mags’ money moving around different safety deposit boxes, so Boyd sends both Ava and Arlo to case the bank, Ava on the inside and Arlo on the out. Of course, Harlan police aren’t fooled in the slightest, and both Raylan and the force realize immediately that Boyd plans to rob the bank. Boyd himself pays a visit to Wynn Duffy, who scolds him for letting Quarles get away. As a compromise, Boyd offers to aid in directing Quarles toward the other end of town while they rob the bank, and blowing up Quarles’ car with hidden explosives. Meanwhile, Quarles himself offers his services to Limehouse as a means of settling his debt, and Limehouse directs him toward Boyd Crowder at the bank later that night, looking to put all his enemies in one place. Not wanting to involve Dickie, Arlo or Ava in the heist, Boyd sends his crew to sit this one out. Johnny would technically sit it out anyway. Ah, wheelchair humor.

Shortly thereafter, Raylan himself shows up to visit Limehouse, and the truth comes out, Raylan not believing that Limehouse really keeps the money there, that Limehouse simply wants the enemies of the town to kill one another off. Even if they all do, Raylan assures him that the Marshal service will tear up Nobel’s Holler looking for the cash. Smelling deception himself, Boyd pulls guns on Dickie and Errol back at his bar, demanding to know who wants to set him up with such an obviously staged bank heist. Errol admits the truth, as Limehouse would rather see Boyd in jail. LOL of course, for nicknaming Dickie and Errol "Salt and Pepper."

Over at Arlo’s house, a hallucination of Helen scolds him for letting the others play him, that it’s up to Arlo to get the money and take down Dickie Bennett for what he did. While searching for his pills, Ava comes face to face with Arlo training a gun on her, though he only locks her in the basement before leaving. After Boyd departs in search of Ava, Dickie manages to get the drop on both Johnny Crowder and Errol, demanding Errol take him to the real location of the money. Of course, the police have been watching their every move, keeping Raylan apprised, as Johnny calls Boyd to reveal they’re headed toward the money’s true location: young Loretta McCready.

Dickie arrives Loretta’s house, shoving Errol in his trunk, but finds Raylan already waiting inside with a gun trained. As much as Dickie tries to weasel his way out of the damning situation, he can’t resist pulling his gun, to which Raylan shoots him in the leg first. Outside, Raylan thanks Limehouse for giving him the real story. Back at the station, Raylan tells Loretta they’ve agreed to respect Mags’ decision to leave the money to her, but will come after her if she uses it too lavishly. Still, Van Halen at a birthday party does sound pretty sweet...

Snorting oxy rather than fulfill his promises, Quarles gets a call from Limehouse directing him to Boyd’s bar for the final confrontation. Rather than blow up Quarles’ car outright, Wynn opts to let the situation play out. Over at the bar, Boyd and his crew, as well as Officer Tom are all aware of Quarles sitting in the parking lot continuing to snort, before the towheaded gangster finally emerges. Boyd confronts him at gunpoint, but Wynn opts to blow the charges in the car, knocking Boyd out and briefly setting Quarles aflame, more-so than his flaming blonde hair.

Officer Tom does his best to control the situation, but after a gunshot, Raylan arrives on the scene to find Quarles gone, Boyd missing, and Officer Tom shot. O noes!

Boy, somebody's got to kill that Robert Quarles already! And I don't imagine Boyd Crowder to be the type easily taking to the role of prisoner, so who will be the one to ultimately put a bullet in ol' blondie bear? Is Arlo long for this world, having gone off his meds to go after Dickie Bennett himself? And what of poor officer Tom? Or that preggers Winona? We need answers, people!

Give us your thoughts on the latest ‘Justified’ or just what you think is next after “Coalition” in the comments section below, and check back next week for 'Justified's third season finale, the ominously-titled "Slaughterhouse!"